Applicant Information Pack
Receptionist - Part time
A foreword from our Principal and Chief People Officer
Richard Backhouse - Principal
Berkhamsted is among the schools leading the way in pursuing a ‘foundation structure’. As a group of six schools, it combines scale of resource with individual attention and development of pupils –and staff. We start with our values: we aim for excellence – aiming high with integrity – in all that we do. We are adventurous, and support development, research, and experimentation in teaching and learning We serve others – at both pupil and staff level: ours is a non-hierarchical school in which the opinions of all matter, and in which we all share in the support and contribution to our local community
Above all, we are committed to developing remarkable people, both among our pupils and our staff We are looking for highly committed, ambitious and adventurous people to join a thriving staff body, whom we can support to flourish here, and whom we can help to grow. Our staff are so important that we have a Chief People Officer as one of our most senior members of staff.
Tracey Evans - Chief People Officer
Our staff are our most important asset at Berkhamsted; investing in their professional development with their wellbeing a key priority We foster a working environment that supports staff both professionally and personally. We offer a wide range of staff wellbeing initiatives. Colleagues can easily access financial, physical, emotional and social well-being support from school
We seek to enable all members of the school community to achieve their full potential in an environment characterised by equality, equity, respect and opportunity We work hard at Berkhamsted, but we also know how to come together as a community and enjoy downtime, building relationships which last a lifetime and enrich our professional and personal experience
History of Berkhamsted Schools Group
Berkhamsted School is situated in the historic Hertfordshire town of Berkhamsted, a prosperous community surrounded by Chiltern countryside and within easy reach of London Berkhamsted is a leading Independent School for pupils aged 3 to 18 years, the foundation of which dates back to 1541 (when John Incent, the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, successfully applied to King Henry the VIII for a license to purchase a piece of land for a ‘freescole’)
In 1888 a Girls School was founded in Berkhamsted under the same governing body, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools merged to form a diamond school in 1997 The Prep School was also integrated at this stage, and the School became Berkhamsted Collegiate School.
In 2011 the School merged with Heatherton House, a small independent day School for girls in Chesham Bois, and became the Berkhamsted Schools Group. Operating as a satellite Prep School, Heatherton provides a feed of Girls to the Berkhamsted Girls School every year In 2012 Berkhamsted Schools Group acquired Haresfoot, a small proprietary prep school in Berkhamsted This site now houses the Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and Berkhamsted Day Nursery Limited, and Berkhamsted Prep takes children from age 7-11.
Berkhamsted is the only School in the Herts, Beds and Bucks region, and one of only a small number of Schools in the country, to offer a ‘diamond’ structure that combines the best of both single-sex and co-educational teaching Boys and Girls are taught together until the age of 11 (Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and Prep), separately from the age of 11-16 (Berkhamsted Boys and Berkhamsted Girls), before coming back together again in a joint sixth form (Berkhamsted Sixth)
Job Description
Reporting to: Office Manager
Hours of Work:
07:45am - 12:45pm Monday to Friday
Hours of work: 8 30am-5pm Monday to Friday, all year round.
Term-time only
Additional one and a half weeks to be worked during the School holidays (specific weeks to be confirmed each year)
Areas of Responsibilities:
Operation of the School telephone system
Reception duties to include providing a reception which deals with parents, visitors, enquiries, messages, mail, deliveries and collections.
Assisting students with queries
Passing on up-to-date information for sports events, production and extra-curricular activities to parents.
Keep accurate record of car permits for the entire School and issue new ones as necessary. Managing car parking spaces for visitors.
Sorting external post and distribution to Common room Responsible for sending external post for whole school.
To manage the safe return home of pupils at end of day via taxi when they have missed the school bus
Assist School Secretary in producing a schedule from the Room Booking System and issuing keys for the school fleet for daily use
Assist School Secretary with any catering requests.
Sorting lost property at the end of each term.
Mobile phone confiscation log
Assisting other departments when necessary.
Job Description
Assisting school secretary as required.
Carry out ad hoc duties as required by line manager
Skill and Experience Required:
Previous experience working as a Receptionist would be an advantage.
Solid office and administrative skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to build strong working relationships at all levels.
An ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Good time management with the ability to work under pressure and prioritise as necessary.
Good IT Skills (Outlook, Word, Excel). Knowledge of iSAMS (School database) would be an advantage, but training will be provided
BenefitsBenefits
We boast a competitive salary structure, alongside other benefits, which includes access to a comprehensive pension scheme
The wellbeing of our staff is a priority. We have a developed programme for staff with initiatives and support in the areas of Economic, Physical, Emotional and Social wellbeing
Free classes and advisory services memberships and discounted rates in local establishments, together with cycle to work scheme, free on-site parking, free daily lunch, and fee reduction for staff's children are examples of some of the non-contractual benefits on offer in this programme
Watch our video
Watch our video and hear from our colleagues why they enjoy working at the Berkhamsted Schools Group. Find out more about what it is really like to be a member of the community.
